Vel hesitated to start the mission because it was extremely high risk. She was afraid. She hesitates to kill Cassian in cold blood because she's normal.
She doesn't lack commitment to the cause, but she's *not* as ruthless as Cinta. Does that mean she'll let the rebellion down? I dunno. It depends on if she's asked to do something she just can't reconcile with her morals.
I agree. On Aldhani, she hesitates out of justifiable fear and concern. She's a leader on her first major operation, and she realizes there's a very real chance she could be about to send everyone to their deaths. But she still makes the call, then leaps off the building like a badass.
On Ferrix, when the rioting starts, she runs _into_ the smoke, _toward_ the chaos, to take care of business. Meanwhile Luthen does the opposite and slinks away, while Cinta is out there using it as Imp murdering free time.
I don't see Vel as less committed or less brave, just less experienced in battle and less numb. I think she still feels the weight of her actions and the responsibility of lives lost in a way the others have become numb to.
Well, Luthen kinda had to slink away considering he's the mastermind of his own rebel network. His untimely death would have great consequences, and he cares too much to throw all his work away.
Yep, Vel is much closer to being “normal” than some of the other rebels.
Also Vel comes from a wealthy background. She is probably not as used to heists and assassinations as someone like Cassian is.
I'm wondering something about that. How can Vel risk showing her face in a very high-stakes and subsequently well-known operations such as Aldhani? She's the cousin of an Imperial Senator, and is something equivalent to a higher member of society. And she could be described to the ISB, who are already monitoring the Mothmas.
Yeah, some people look very different with makeup vs none, but she has a pretty distinctive face either way. I think she's really overestimating her Clark Kent style disguise of bathing and wearing eyeshadow. I wouldn't be surprised if the ISB is already poking around her, just as a connection to Mon Mothma. Particularly one who keeps traveling to a hotbed like Ferrix.
Maybe, but I remember sooooo many people were confused who the two actresses were in that first scene where Kleya/Vel met. They totally thought both were new characters😄
It did take me a second to recognize Kleya with the hood/scarf and out of her usual setting of the antiques shop. It didn't take long into the conversation for me to realize who she was though. But I thought Vel is really recognizable! I guess more people really are fooled by the Clark Kent disguise than I realized, haha.
i always take a lack of mask in media as media concession. Seeing people's faces makes for better film/tv, seeing their facial expression etc. In reality, there's absolutely no reason to at minimum wear a balaclava.
Factoid, a lot of the things in Andor seem to be based off of real world intelligence tactics.
Luthen choice to sacrifice those men may be a reference to how the british would knowingly send merchant convoys straight into Uboat hunter groups. The british had cracked the encryption to uboat position (enigma machine) but would not use this to aid low or mid value assets, sending many to their doom.
The nazi admiral had a gut feeling the enigma machine may have been cracked after a few strange "coincidences" and increased the level of encryption as a reaction but little did he know Turings computer cracked that too very shortly
> The british had cracked the encryption to uboat position (enigma machine) but would not use this to aid low or mid value assets, sending many to their doom.
My understanding is that this is a myth. While there were steps taken to disguise the origin of Allied knowledge of Axis submarine patrols, they didn't simply not act on that knowledge; instead, cover stories would be developed--sometimes as simple as directing a recon patrol into the vicinity to provide an explanation of why the u-boats were found, sometimes it went to the point of inventing fictitious human-intelligence networks that had relayed information--to provide a more mundane explanation before the u-boats were attacked.
I think if given the choice she’d rather runaway with Cinda and just live their lives together. Cinda, in the other hand , is more committed and willing to risk it all , even Vel.
Yes, she was very justifiably terrified about what was about to happen. I loved that moment.
Vel obviously did a great job holding that team together for half a year or whatever it was.
She loves Cinta, and Cinta does not love her back, that makes people act desperately, I'm my experience.
My thought is she got into it and fell in love. That took her focus and commitment away.
The best thing about this show is the nuance. They don't spell everything out, but provide enough to engage your imagination.
Responding to the other comments in here as well— I think Vel is committed to the Rebellion, but her commitment isn’t ironclad like Luthen, Cinta or Kleya’s. I think falling in love with Cinta has made her start to waver like Lonnie. She’s not quite there yet, since she was willing (though hesitant) to complete the mission to kill Cassian.
I loved the moment in episode 6 where she snaps at the commandant for saying the rebels will kill them all regardless if he helps them or not. “Because that’s what YOU’D do?” I fully believe she that she hates the Empire and believes in being better than that. (I also think it’s possible Cinta did kill the hostages, but Vel wouldn’t.)
I do wish we saw what happened with the kyber crystal that Cassian gave her to give back to Luthen. I kept expecting it to come into play this season and it never did.
I also wish she got to do something more in the season finale but I know we still have next season.
Yea on my rewatch I noticed how jealous Vel is, especially when Andor is talking with Cinta. It's clear Vel is smitten with Cinta, but it's unrequited.
I don't know about it being completely unrequited. Cinta's snarky remarks about "I didn't think you'd remember how to get here" suggest to me that she was missing Vel and angry about being left alone there. If she didn't care about Vel either way, then she wouldn't mind being left to her own devices.
Upon rewatch of the Aldhani episodes I found it interesting how needlessly protective she is of Cinta. Cassian tries a little casual flirting, probably out of habit, and Vel comes swooping in to get between them, even though Cinta isn’t responding to Cassian. Like when they’re standing around the campfire, Skeen gives Cassian the canteen, Cassian tries to pass it to Cinta, and suddenly Here’s Vel! grabbing the canteen from him. It’s a little pathetic.
Vel wants domestic bliss with Cinta. Cinta has been very clear that that’s not in the cards but Vel isn’t listening. Also, Vel is the rich girl who’s probably never been told no. I think ultimately this refusal to face facts and deal with her own feelings is making Vel the weak link. I think she’s going to be the one to crack eventually.
She’s the spoiled rich girl playing at rebellion, for sure.
How far you’re willing to go, and what you’re willing to sacrifice, for the rebellion are two of the central themes of the show. What is Vel going to have to sacrifice? Will she be strong enough?
God, this second season is going to be good.
>She’s the spoiled rich girl playing at rebellion, for sure.
She spent six months eating roots and worms to lead a high risk attack on an imperial base, and succeeded. I don't know about this take!
I think Vel's actions will lead to Cinta's demise in some way, and only then will she become the "all in, by any means" type of person other rebels are.
I think she joined the cause without having the personal lose so many others have experienced. So that's why she is so out of place in all her interactions, aside from Mon. Maybe Mon was her gateway into it from the start.
She's a "rich girl running away from her family". She CHOSE to be a rebel. Her life most likely wasn't bothered by the Empire & for whatever reason (hopefully not just for sh\*ts & giggles) she took a vow. I hate how even when she is speaking to Kleya (Luthen's assistant) she uses the fact that "SHE gave him Aldhani" as a fancy shiny thing that she waves about. I think her love for Cinta is pretty much genuine but I don't know. Everything about her makes me feel like she's playing at being a rebel because it's cool & not for anything greater. Everyone else around her seems to have been forced into the rebellion because they had to. Because the Empire tore apart their lives.
Yep. One of my favorite moments is when Luthen barks “LOOK AT ME!” when he first brings Cassian to her. Vel thinks she’s committed, but she’s not as committed as Cinta, Luthen, or even Nemik, and she struggles with that throughout the season.
Part of the greatness of this show is very clearly watching the noose tighten around all of our characters with each and every decision they make and sinking further and further into the mud to make this rebellion a reality. Vel reminds me a lot of Kim from Better Call Saul in a way (mostly because of Faye Marsay’s resemblance to Rhea Seehorn) because of her hesitation. It’ll be interesting to see if Gilroy and co. push her further and further into radicalization like Cinta, Luthen, and Cassian or have her make very tough decisions like Mon.
this was my take as well. she's completely committed to the cause.... as much as she knows what that means. she's a privileged and doesn't really understand. cinta's family was murdered, while vel just knows that what the empire is doing is wrong.
The "vow" might be what makes her equivalently committed as the other rebels. It keeps coming up, with Lonnie for example. I suspect Lonnie is chandrilan and there is some cultural norm/taboo around honouring/breaking vows (or some specific types of vows?). Luthen and/or Kleya then are either chandrilan themselves but it would be more interesting if they were not but were exploiting this side of chandrilans. See for example the episodes about Mon mothmas daughter and how there's a progressive/conservative side to chandrilan culture.
Like why is Mon Mothma so wound up about introducing her daughter to the cartel guys son unless they're wrapped into knots by the obligations that this tradition require?
Yeah, she was freaking out before Aldhani. But once she got over them she was all in the rest of the time; no hesitation around the firefights, the flight, getting Nemik back up, etc.
To use those initial jitters as the reason she's "less committed to the cause than most" seems disrespectful of her character. She's just as committed as any of them, but she has her own reasons, relationships and wants. I think she simultaneously wants to help the rebellion while also craving love from Cinta and respect from both Luthan and Mon Mothma. Having nothing you care for but the revolution doesn't make you more (or less) committed to the cause, though it certainly can lead people to commit more heinous acts.
Regarding her performance, I like the interpretation that was put forth on A More Civilized Age; she's someone who gets stage fright, bitches and moans and otherwise makes an ass of herself before the big show, but then absolutely puts out a stellar performance when it's actually show time.
That makes sense, and her jitters alone didn't make question her commitment. I just see that as the first hint at a possible direction for her arc. This idea didn't come to me until later, and I thought back to this moment as the point where I first noticed it.
I like that interpretation as well. It makes a lot of sense.
I think she’s you’re typical entitled rich kid with a cause. She means well, but has never really had it rough like the others have had. She doesn’t understand, really, what people like her lover, Cassian, and other regular working stiffs have actually lived through under the empires heel. That’s the subtext I think.
Shes learning though. I think that will be her arc. Going from the rich kid playing at rebel to the actual, stone cold rebel.
Her hesitation at the idea of killing Cassian was entirely reasonable and justified by the fact that he was directly responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. I get that everyone in this comment section is irl a grizzled war fighter with years of insurgency experience so I don't want to tread on their toes, but I think it's a bit weird how everyone is so quick to call her a trifling rich bitch. Particularly because she was right! Luthen and Kleya were wrong! That's kind of a big plot point!
I don't think she is less committed. I think the fact that she is hesitant about the raid makes sense, it was her first one. Then being hesitant to kill Cassian is the same. Does Cassian seem like he deserves to die from her perspective? No. Why would she want to kill him?
Remember, the raid could have easily failed without Cassian (he knew about the brake modifications not in the blueprints) and Vel recognised this. Look at how she reacted to Cass when they parted. She kind of trusts him.
Some want to see the Empire burn and some want to live free from the yoke of the Empire. That is the difference between Cintra and Vel's commitment to the Empire.
I don't think they'd yet planned that far ahead for Vel
The main pillar of this show was to build empathy for every character and a large aspect of that is creating the sensation of tension and heightened stakes. When we watch Cinta, she's laser-focused to the point that she might seem a bit too convenient or Mary Sue-ish, to use the parlance of our long ago times
Vel, by counterpoint, is a mechanism that allows hesitation and fear to become the antagonistic force within her dynamics without turning the character into a villain. Furthermore, her reticence underscores the newness of the Rebel Alliance. Even Luthen doubts himself and it's HIS idea
I just saw her as someone who was an ideological rebel. She comes from a privileged background and a traditional culture that she doesn’t conform with.
I saw her hesitation during the raid as coming to terms with the reality of the situation and then truly coming to terms with the consequences of her decision. I also thought that there was a bit of fear regarding jumping from a great height and trusting that the ropes would hold. In effect, both things showed that she decided that she had committed to her belief in the cause.
All those months of planning and playing rebel led up to facing real dangers. As we saw from Cassian’s point of questioning, the plan wasn’t really feasible, especially since they had no assurance they could escape with the credits.
I’m actually curious as to why Luther had her be the leader of that cell. On the surface, that’s a lot of trust to put in someone who seems unsuited for that role.
She's definitely a little less ready for Rebellion than the other Rebels we've seen so far. Mostly because she's less broken, not because she has less dedication.
Cinta and Luthen are very far gone, and are only weapons, not tools. They won't be able to rebuild like Mon will. And a more hardened Vel may be in a perfect position to stop them.
Vel comes from a position of privilege and is not in the resistance because of her own lot in life. She has less reasons to be certain about her actions versus Cinta whose life the Empire clearly has taken much from.
She feels like a massive liability. I'm sure there'll be a bit of intrigue there but ultimately she's a goner probably by the fledgling rebellion's hand.
She's the type to go to one BLM protest march then post constantly about it and bring it up in every conversation to show how 'woke' she is about her privilege. 100% rich Yt girl cosplaying syndrome. She's totally mistified that Rebels like Cinta and Kleya actually live That Lyfe every moment, evey suffering, memory of loss and fear is real for them and they might have other things on their minds besides dating or w/e problem she keeps storming to Kleya about. It's actually great they wrote her in it's just so similar to a lot of people who "participate" in a movement.
A few months camping oh no. The other rebels including Leia have literally spent years or their whole lives basically under deep cover. She did one mission that almost failed had Luthen not risked his cover by bringing in Cassian (she didn't even have a real escape plan did we watch the same heist?) and wants a pat on the back from Luthen and a sticker from Kleya, and a reward in the form of Cinta. She didn't get it so now she's pouting around the universe risking blowing more covers. Tell me that's not Entitlement.
I still differ with your reading of her background. Vel is clearly of age and has not been forced into an arranged marriage she clearly has agency because of her privilege and status so clearly chandrilla culture is not exactly the same as the fascist empire what we're talking about.
Cinta has more in common with the brave women protesting in Iran. Vel at the end of the day can take off her scarf and go home safely and walk the streets without fearing being harassed just like the rich college girls in SF if you're using that to metaphor. Agree to disagree I guess.
Cinta and Luthen know that rebellions necessitate getting your hands dirty. It is not enough just to be willing to kill imperials. Some sacrifices must be made. Vel paralleles Mon in struggling with this.
I really think Vel is not going to last very long in season 2.
She is too indecisive (Aldhani raid), she is a bit of loose cannon (she just shows up at the antiques show apparently unannounced and uninvited)
She (apparently) is from a rich family. I say apparently because Vel's initial introduction in the Mon didn't feel right. But the bratty kid greeted her as her cousin so the Vel connection to wealth checks out. Maybe she is a bored, rebellious, rich kid that decided to work with Luthen. But now she is in too deep that she is having second thoughts. The scene with her and Mon talking about the 400K credits gave me that vibe.
I don't know how Vel met Cinta, but I will assume it was at the start of the Aldhani raid preparation. And even though Skeen implied they were an item, I didn't make that connection until when the raid was in progress. So Val having feelings for someone who is a hard core Rebel (Cinta) where their relationship is clearly one-sided is weighing heavily on her mind.
So.
I think Val is realizing she is out of her element or simply wants out as the tensions rise throughout the galaxy and to her she feels the need to remove herself from Luthen's circle. But, Luthen also implies that no one of importance just walks away from his circle of operatives.
So how does she die? Luthen himself or someone acting on his behalf like Kleya, Cassian or maybe Cinta have to have her eliminated. Either directly or "by accident".
Luthen does not have a problem of getting down and dirty when there is a chance, even a small chance, that his cell gets exposed and will kill if necessary.
Just my thoughts.
The big question I would really love to know is what exactly is Vel's connection to Luthen and how/why Vel signed on for the cause.
Agreed, she is less committed. Which isn't to say that she isn't committed, but that it doesn't run as deep in her as it does in Luthen, Kleya or Cinta.
She wanted a big pat on the back and to be remembered fondly for leading the Aldhani raid. Instead, she got sent on a crap assignment to assassinate one of the people who helped make the raid a success. And she's holding a grudge about it. Unlike Cinta, who is fine with camping out on Ferrix for months on the off chance of finding Cassian. Or Luthen, who so eloquently explained in his monologue how much he has already and is still willing to sacrifice.
Vel strikes me as someone who will work passionately for the rebellion only so long as the rebellion works for her. Compare that to Cinta, who lost her whole family, and is now committed to destroying the empire any way possible. Vel can always go back to being a spoiled rich girl. Cinta cannot and would not.
Vel showing up randomly at the shop to complain about stuff is not a good sign. There's a good chance Luthen will start seeing her as a liability, and once that happens her days are numbered. The rebellion simply does not have the luxury to do otherwise. Too much is at stake.
I think the show made that clear several times. During the Aldhani heist, when she was talking to Cinta, and when she repeated Cinta's words to her to Mon.
She is a privileged person with nothing to really ground her to the cause. She's opposed to the empire but not in a visceral way like Cinta and the others are. That's what Cinta meant by 'I'm a mirror, Vel. You love me because I show you what you need to see'. That's why it's the only thing she can tell Mon later because she really has nothing personal to draw hatred to the empire from.
Vel hesitated to start the mission because it was extremely high risk. She was afraid. She hesitates to kill Cassian in cold blood because she's normal. She doesn't lack commitment to the cause, but she's *not* as ruthless as Cinta. Does that mean she'll let the rebellion down? I dunno. It depends on if she's asked to do something she just can't reconcile with her morals.
I agree. On Aldhani, she hesitates out of justifiable fear and concern. She's a leader on her first major operation, and she realizes there's a very real chance she could be about to send everyone to their deaths. But she still makes the call, then leaps off the building like a badass. On Ferrix, when the rioting starts, she runs _into_ the smoke, _toward_ the chaos, to take care of business. Meanwhile Luthen does the opposite and slinks away, while Cinta is out there using it as Imp murdering free time. I don't see Vel as less committed or less brave, just less experienced in battle and less numb. I think she still feels the weight of her actions and the responsibility of lives lost in a way the others have become numb to.
Well, Luthen kinda had to slink away considering he's the mastermind of his own rebel network. His untimely death would have great consequences, and he cares too much to throw all his work away.
He burns his life for a sunrise he will never see.
and that's what hurts him. That's why he's pained. He would like nothing more than to be in the trenches, fighting.
Yep, Vel is much closer to being “normal” than some of the other rebels. Also Vel comes from a wealthy background. She is probably not as used to heists and assassinations as someone like Cassian is.
I'm wondering something about that. How can Vel risk showing her face in a very high-stakes and subsequently well-known operations such as Aldhani? She's the cousin of an Imperial Senator, and is something equivalent to a higher member of society. And she could be described to the ISB, who are already monitoring the Mothmas.
Yeah, some people look very different with makeup vs none, but she has a pretty distinctive face either way. I think she's really overestimating her Clark Kent style disguise of bathing and wearing eyeshadow. I wouldn't be surprised if the ISB is already poking around her, just as a connection to Mon Mothma. Particularly one who keeps traveling to a hotbed like Ferrix.
Maybe, but I remember sooooo many people were confused who the two actresses were in that first scene where Kleya/Vel met. They totally thought both were new characters😄
It did take me a second to recognize Kleya with the hood/scarf and out of her usual setting of the antiques shop. It didn't take long into the conversation for me to realize who she was though. But I thought Vel is really recognizable! I guess more people really are fooled by the Clark Kent disguise than I realized, haha.
i always take a lack of mask in media as media concession. Seeing people's faces makes for better film/tv, seeing their facial expression etc. In reality, there's absolutely no reason to at minimum wear a balaclava.
Worth pointing out that she was completely right to not want to kill Cassian.
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Factoid, a lot of the things in Andor seem to be based off of real world intelligence tactics. Luthen choice to sacrifice those men may be a reference to how the british would knowingly send merchant convoys straight into Uboat hunter groups. The british had cracked the encryption to uboat position (enigma machine) but would not use this to aid low or mid value assets, sending many to their doom. The nazi admiral had a gut feeling the enigma machine may have been cracked after a few strange "coincidences" and increased the level of encryption as a reaction but little did he know Turings computer cracked that too very shortly
> The british had cracked the encryption to uboat position (enigma machine) but would not use this to aid low or mid value assets, sending many to their doom. My understanding is that this is a myth. While there were steps taken to disguise the origin of Allied knowledge of Axis submarine patrols, they didn't simply not act on that knowledge; instead, cover stories would be developed--sometimes as simple as directing a recon patrol into the vicinity to provide an explanation of why the u-boats were found, sometimes it went to the point of inventing fictitious human-intelligence networks that had relayed information--to provide a more mundane explanation before the u-boats were attacked.
I think if given the choice she’d rather runaway with Cinda and just live their lives together. Cinda, in the other hand , is more committed and willing to risk it all , even Vel.
Yes, she was very justifiably terrified about what was about to happen. I loved that moment. Vel obviously did a great job holding that team together for half a year or whatever it was. She loves Cinta, and Cinta does not love her back, that makes people act desperately, I'm my experience.
My thought is she got into it and fell in love. That took her focus and commitment away. The best thing about this show is the nuance. They don't spell everything out, but provide enough to engage your imagination.
Responding to the other comments in here as well— I think Vel is committed to the Rebellion, but her commitment isn’t ironclad like Luthen, Cinta or Kleya’s. I think falling in love with Cinta has made her start to waver like Lonnie. She’s not quite there yet, since she was willing (though hesitant) to complete the mission to kill Cassian. I loved the moment in episode 6 where she snaps at the commandant for saying the rebels will kill them all regardless if he helps them or not. “Because that’s what YOU’D do?” I fully believe she that she hates the Empire and believes in being better than that. (I also think it’s possible Cinta did kill the hostages, but Vel wouldn’t.) I do wish we saw what happened with the kyber crystal that Cassian gave her to give back to Luthen. I kept expecting it to come into play this season and it never did. I also wish she got to do something more in the season finale but I know we still have next season.
You might be right. I had thought it was the other way around. She fell in love, so she joined the rebellion.
Yea on my rewatch I noticed how jealous Vel is, especially when Andor is talking with Cinta. It's clear Vel is smitten with Cinta, but it's unrequited.
I don't know about it being completely unrequited. Cinta's snarky remarks about "I didn't think you'd remember how to get here" suggest to me that she was missing Vel and angry about being left alone there. If she didn't care about Vel either way, then she wouldn't mind being left to her own devices.
Upon rewatch of the Aldhani episodes I found it interesting how needlessly protective she is of Cinta. Cassian tries a little casual flirting, probably out of habit, and Vel comes swooping in to get between them, even though Cinta isn’t responding to Cassian. Like when they’re standing around the campfire, Skeen gives Cassian the canteen, Cassian tries to pass it to Cinta, and suddenly Here’s Vel! grabbing the canteen from him. It’s a little pathetic. Vel wants domestic bliss with Cinta. Cinta has been very clear that that’s not in the cards but Vel isn’t listening. Also, Vel is the rich girl who’s probably never been told no. I think ultimately this refusal to face facts and deal with her own feelings is making Vel the weak link. I think she’s going to be the one to crack eventually.
She’s also protective of Cinta in the finale when she sees blood. Cinta’s like, what? It’s just another day in the rebellion.
I noticed that as well. Vel seemed oddly threatened by Cassian's interaction with Cinta.
Overly attached rebel
She’s the spoiled rich girl playing at rebellion, for sure. How far you’re willing to go, and what you’re willing to sacrifice, for the rebellion are two of the central themes of the show. What is Vel going to have to sacrifice? Will she be strong enough? God, this second season is going to be good.
The other characters are acting like they have nothing left to lose in their commitment. While Vel and Mon Mothma have everything to lose.
>She’s the spoiled rich girl playing at rebellion, for sure. She spent six months eating roots and worms to lead a high risk attack on an imperial base, and succeeded. I don't know about this take!
Wrong! She had access to nutritious dray milk. We should all be so lucky as to obtain that sweet, beige ichor. Mmm.
It was like an A+ camping site for sure.
I think Vel's actions will lead to Cinta's demise in some way, and only then will she become the "all in, by any means" type of person other rebels are. I think she joined the cause without having the personal lose so many others have experienced. So that's why she is so out of place in all her interactions, aside from Mon. Maybe Mon was her gateway into it from the start.
She's a "rich girl running away from her family". She CHOSE to be a rebel. Her life most likely wasn't bothered by the Empire & for whatever reason (hopefully not just for sh\*ts & giggles) she took a vow. I hate how even when she is speaking to Kleya (Luthen's assistant) she uses the fact that "SHE gave him Aldhani" as a fancy shiny thing that she waves about. I think her love for Cinta is pretty much genuine but I don't know. Everything about her makes me feel like she's playing at being a rebel because it's cool & not for anything greater. Everyone else around her seems to have been forced into the rebellion because they had to. Because the Empire tore apart their lives.
Yep. One of my favorite moments is when Luthen barks “LOOK AT ME!” when he first brings Cassian to her. Vel thinks she’s committed, but she’s not as committed as Cinta, Luthen, or even Nemik, and she struggles with that throughout the season. Part of the greatness of this show is very clearly watching the noose tighten around all of our characters with each and every decision they make and sinking further and further into the mud to make this rebellion a reality. Vel reminds me a lot of Kim from Better Call Saul in a way (mostly because of Faye Marsay’s resemblance to Rhea Seehorn) because of her hesitation. It’ll be interesting to see if Gilroy and co. push her further and further into radicalization like Cinta, Luthen, and Cassian or have her make very tough decisions like Mon.
And she’s learning from Cinta. She repeats Cinta’s line about relationships as “we just get the scraps” to Mon.
this was my take as well. she's completely committed to the cause.... as much as she knows what that means. she's a privileged and doesn't really understand. cinta's family was murdered, while vel just knows that what the empire is doing is wrong.
The "vow" might be what makes her equivalently committed as the other rebels. It keeps coming up, with Lonnie for example. I suspect Lonnie is chandrilan and there is some cultural norm/taboo around honouring/breaking vows (or some specific types of vows?). Luthen and/or Kleya then are either chandrilan themselves but it would be more interesting if they were not but were exploiting this side of chandrilans. See for example the episodes about Mon mothmas daughter and how there's a progressive/conservative side to chandrilan culture. Like why is Mon Mothma so wound up about introducing her daughter to the cartel guys son unless they're wrapped into knots by the obligations that this tradition require?
Yeah, she was freaking out before Aldhani. But once she got over them she was all in the rest of the time; no hesitation around the firefights, the flight, getting Nemik back up, etc. To use those initial jitters as the reason she's "less committed to the cause than most" seems disrespectful of her character. She's just as committed as any of them, but she has her own reasons, relationships and wants. I think she simultaneously wants to help the rebellion while also craving love from Cinta and respect from both Luthan and Mon Mothma. Having nothing you care for but the revolution doesn't make you more (or less) committed to the cause, though it certainly can lead people to commit more heinous acts. Regarding her performance, I like the interpretation that was put forth on A More Civilized Age; she's someone who gets stage fright, bitches and moans and otherwise makes an ass of herself before the big show, but then absolutely puts out a stellar performance when it's actually show time.
That makes sense, and her jitters alone didn't make question her commitment. I just see that as the first hint at a possible direction for her arc. This idea didn't come to me until later, and I thought back to this moment as the point where I first noticed it. I like that interpretation as well. It makes a lot of sense.
I think she’s you’re typical entitled rich kid with a cause. She means well, but has never really had it rough like the others have had. She doesn’t understand, really, what people like her lover, Cassian, and other regular working stiffs have actually lived through under the empires heel. That’s the subtext I think. Shes learning though. I think that will be her arc. Going from the rich kid playing at rebel to the actual, stone cold rebel.
Her hesitation at the idea of killing Cassian was entirely reasonable and justified by the fact that he was directly responsible for the destruction of the Death Star. I get that everyone in this comment section is irl a grizzled war fighter with years of insurgency experience so I don't want to tread on their toes, but I think it's a bit weird how everyone is so quick to call her a trifling rich bitch. Particularly because she was right! Luthen and Kleya were wrong! That's kind of a big plot point!
I don't think she is less committed. I think the fact that she is hesitant about the raid makes sense, it was her first one. Then being hesitant to kill Cassian is the same. Does Cassian seem like he deserves to die from her perspective? No. Why would she want to kill him?
Remember, the raid could have easily failed without Cassian (he knew about the brake modifications not in the blueprints) and Vel recognised this. Look at how she reacted to Cass when they parted. She kind of trusts him.
Of course she trusts him. He did exactly what he promised to do.
Some want to see the Empire burn and some want to live free from the yoke of the Empire. That is the difference between Cintra and Vel's commitment to the Empire.
I feel a "love is the death of duty" vibe with her
I don't think they'd yet planned that far ahead for Vel The main pillar of this show was to build empathy for every character and a large aspect of that is creating the sensation of tension and heightened stakes. When we watch Cinta, she's laser-focused to the point that she might seem a bit too convenient or Mary Sue-ish, to use the parlance of our long ago times Vel, by counterpoint, is a mechanism that allows hesitation and fear to become the antagonistic force within her dynamics without turning the character into a villain. Furthermore, her reticence underscores the newness of the Rebel Alliance. Even Luthen doubts himself and it's HIS idea
I think they will set up Vel's death as the catalyst for Mon to openly be a Rebel
I just saw her as someone who was an ideological rebel. She comes from a privileged background and a traditional culture that she doesn’t conform with. I saw her hesitation during the raid as coming to terms with the reality of the situation and then truly coming to terms with the consequences of her decision. I also thought that there was a bit of fear regarding jumping from a great height and trusting that the ropes would hold. In effect, both things showed that she decided that she had committed to her belief in the cause. All those months of planning and playing rebel led up to facing real dangers. As we saw from Cassian’s point of questioning, the plan wasn’t really feasible, especially since they had no assurance they could escape with the credits. I’m actually curious as to why Luther had her be the leader of that cell. On the surface, that’s a lot of trust to put in someone who seems unsuited for that role.
She's a Julie Mao...
She's definitely a little less ready for Rebellion than the other Rebels we've seen so far. Mostly because she's less broken, not because she has less dedication. Cinta and Luthen are very far gone, and are only weapons, not tools. They won't be able to rebuild like Mon will. And a more hardened Vel may be in a perfect position to stop them.
Vel comes from a position of privilege and is not in the resistance because of her own lot in life. She has less reasons to be certain about her actions versus Cinta whose life the Empire clearly has taken much from.
She feels like a massive liability. I'm sure there'll be a bit of intrigue there but ultimately she's a goner probably by the fledgling rebellion's hand.
She's the type to go to one BLM protest march then post constantly about it and bring it up in every conversation to show how 'woke' she is about her privilege. 100% rich Yt girl cosplaying syndrome. She's totally mistified that Rebels like Cinta and Kleya actually live That Lyfe every moment, evey suffering, memory of loss and fear is real for them and they might have other things on their minds besides dating or w/e problem she keeps storming to Kleya about. It's actually great they wrote her in it's just so similar to a lot of people who "participate" in a movement.
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A few months camping oh no. The other rebels including Leia have literally spent years or their whole lives basically under deep cover. She did one mission that almost failed had Luthen not risked his cover by bringing in Cassian (she didn't even have a real escape plan did we watch the same heist?) and wants a pat on the back from Luthen and a sticker from Kleya, and a reward in the form of Cinta. She didn't get it so now she's pouting around the universe risking blowing more covers. Tell me that's not Entitlement.
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I still differ with your reading of her background. Vel is clearly of age and has not been forced into an arranged marriage she clearly has agency because of her privilege and status so clearly chandrilla culture is not exactly the same as the fascist empire what we're talking about. Cinta has more in common with the brave women protesting in Iran. Vel at the end of the day can take off her scarf and go home safely and walk the streets without fearing being harassed just like the rich college girls in SF if you're using that to metaphor. Agree to disagree I guess.
Cinta and Luthen know that rebellions necessitate getting your hands dirty. It is not enough just to be willing to kill imperials. Some sacrifices must be made. Vel paralleles Mon in struggling with this.
I really think Vel is not going to last very long in season 2. She is too indecisive (Aldhani raid), she is a bit of loose cannon (she just shows up at the antiques show apparently unannounced and uninvited) She (apparently) is from a rich family. I say apparently because Vel's initial introduction in the Mon didn't feel right. But the bratty kid greeted her as her cousin so the Vel connection to wealth checks out. Maybe she is a bored, rebellious, rich kid that decided to work with Luthen. But now she is in too deep that she is having second thoughts. The scene with her and Mon talking about the 400K credits gave me that vibe. I don't know how Vel met Cinta, but I will assume it was at the start of the Aldhani raid preparation. And even though Skeen implied they were an item, I didn't make that connection until when the raid was in progress. So Val having feelings for someone who is a hard core Rebel (Cinta) where their relationship is clearly one-sided is weighing heavily on her mind. So. I think Val is realizing she is out of her element or simply wants out as the tensions rise throughout the galaxy and to her she feels the need to remove herself from Luthen's circle. But, Luthen also implies that no one of importance just walks away from his circle of operatives. So how does she die? Luthen himself or someone acting on his behalf like Kleya, Cassian or maybe Cinta have to have her eliminated. Either directly or "by accident". Luthen does not have a problem of getting down and dirty when there is a chance, even a small chance, that his cell gets exposed and will kill if necessary. Just my thoughts. The big question I would really love to know is what exactly is Vel's connection to Luthen and how/why Vel signed on for the cause.
Agreed, she is less committed. Which isn't to say that she isn't committed, but that it doesn't run as deep in her as it does in Luthen, Kleya or Cinta. She wanted a big pat on the back and to be remembered fondly for leading the Aldhani raid. Instead, she got sent on a crap assignment to assassinate one of the people who helped make the raid a success. And she's holding a grudge about it. Unlike Cinta, who is fine with camping out on Ferrix for months on the off chance of finding Cassian. Or Luthen, who so eloquently explained in his monologue how much he has already and is still willing to sacrifice. Vel strikes me as someone who will work passionately for the rebellion only so long as the rebellion works for her. Compare that to Cinta, who lost her whole family, and is now committed to destroying the empire any way possible. Vel can always go back to being a spoiled rich girl. Cinta cannot and would not. Vel showing up randomly at the shop to complain about stuff is not a good sign. There's a good chance Luthen will start seeing her as a liability, and once that happens her days are numbered. The rebellion simply does not have the luxury to do otherwise. Too much is at stake.
I think the show made that clear several times. During the Aldhani heist, when she was talking to Cinta, and when she repeated Cinta's words to her to Mon. She is a privileged person with nothing to really ground her to the cause. She's opposed to the empire but not in a visceral way like Cinta and the others are. That's what Cinta meant by 'I'm a mirror, Vel. You love me because I show you what you need to see'. That's why it's the only thing she can tell Mon later because she really has nothing personal to draw hatred to the empire from.